


falling (please catch me)

by falling4hournite



Category: Stargirl (TV 2020)
Genre: Denial of Feelings, F/M, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Jealousy, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:00:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25269499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/falling4hournite/pseuds/falling4hournite
Summary: Rick gets jealous of Beth’s attention towards the new boy in town.
Relationships: Beth Chapel/Rick Tyler
Comments: 8
Kudos: 36





	falling (please catch me)

**Author's Note:**

> This is set a year after the first episode!

Rick’s hand tightly gripped the one strap of his backpack that hung on his shoulder. His feet dragged as he walked down the school hallway closer to the sound of Beth giggling. 

His best friend’s laugh was usually one of Rick’s favorite sounds, but the cause of her laughter currently spoiled it in Rick’s mind.

He couldn’t see Beth’s face as she was faced away from him, but he could see Kyle Smith’s boyish smile. 

‘Fucking Kyle Smith’ Rick grumbled in his mind. 

Kyle was standing way too close to Beth by her locker animatedly telling her something probably ridiculous.

Kyle just moved to Blue Valley High at the beginning of their sophomore year. Beth with her normal cheery disposition immediately greeted him to their school. But unlike most people at the school Kyle took an immediate liking to Beth. They shared a love for many of the same books and video games. Anytime he saw her he’d hang out with her. 

‘Like a leech.’

Rick tried to be cool about it but it was one month into the school year and Beth still entertained this guy like he was the next best thing since sliced bread. 

Rick told himself that he was only jealous because Kyle was competing with him for his best friend’s attention. But the tug at his heart that he tried to ignore fervently laughed at his futile attempts of denial. 

When Rick finally reached Beth he couldn’t help but slide a little too close behind her, leaning against the lockers. Kyle paused his rant, Rick now knew it had something to do with Mario Kart, and looked up at the taller teen to give him a slight nod of acknowledgment. 

Beth jumped a little from the feeling of a sudden presence behind her but didn’t have to turn around to realize immediately that it was Rick. Beth gave him a light elbow in his stomach for scaring her but then turned her head and looked up at him with a smile.

She greeted him happily “Hey Rick!”

Rick grumbled back “Hey Beth.”  
Despite his annoyance Rick’s eyes softened when he saw her glowing face. 

Beth turned her head back to face Kyle, and Rick scooted even closer up behind her. Which he of course told himself was because he wanted to get her to hurry up and wrap it up with Kyle so they could start the walk back to Beth’s house. They had a big US History Test tomorrow that they were gonna study together for.

Beth relaxed into Rick’s chest, slightly leaning into him. Still listening to Kyle’s ramblings earnestly. 

Rick‘s grip on his backpack loosened up and he felt better. Beth’s warm body heat calming him. 

Rick even tried to actually listen to whatever was spewing from Kyle’s mouth. Despite his annoyance with the guy, Rick did have to admit that Kyle’s immediate liking of Beth did speak well of him. 

“So yeah at my old school I co-founded a Mario Kart club with some of my friends. It was so much fun! We should totally start one here!” Kyle exclaimed excitedly. 

Beth bounced happily, “Omg!! Yes! What a great idea!! I would love to have some people to play it with! We should totally talk some more about this tomorrow.”

“Would you mind if I texted you about it?“ 

Rick stiffened.

If Beth felt Rick’s body posture go rigid she sure didn’t act like she noticed, “Oh yeah sure! I’ll put my number in your phone.”

Kyle was positively beaming as he handed Beth his phone and she typed in her number. Rick had to look away to stop himself from giving the boy daggers.

Beth handed him his phone back, and all Rick wanted to do was grab her hand and drag her away from Kyle immediately. 

Luckily Beth was ready to go. She grabbed her backpack from off the floor next to her locker and said her farewells to Kyle.

Rick walked next to Beth in silence all the way through the school and to the sidewalk that led directly to Beth’s house. 

He barely could form coherent thoughts, not willing to unpack why he felt sick to his stomach when Beth put her number in Kyle’s phone. Before that moment he’d felt angry about Kyle. Rick understood anger and in many ways he hid in its blinding effect. But this wasn’t even anger anymore. It was just a churning in his stomach that he couldn’t shake. Something caught in his throat that he couldn’t voice. 

“Rick? Are you alright?”

Beth had stopped in front of him and looked him over worriedly. 

“Did something happen? Pat, Courtney and Yolanda are still training today. We can stop by the shop if there’s something going on?”

“I’m fine.” Rick gritted out refusing to look Beth in her eyes. 

Beth reached up and softly pulled his face forward so she could look him in his eyes. When she looked in his eyes she could always read him like a book. 

This time Rick was scared of what she might see. 

So he lashed out.

He pushed her hands off him and stormed ahead of her.  
“Beth! Seriously I’m fine, if anything I’m just annoyed that we have to skip training today to study for fucking History. I don’t need you to be my shrink okay?“

Beth folded her arms around herself and walked silently behind Rick to her house.

Rick’s anger about this whole situation couldn’t stop the sinking feeling of guilt for lashing out and pushing Beth away from him. He had never before touched Beth angrily.

When they finally reached Beth’s door and she pulled out her key, Rick saw the slightest tremble in her hand as she brought the key to the door. Instinctively, Rick softly grabbed her hand in between both of his. 

Beth was looking down. A clear sign that she was truly upset and Rick pulled her into him. He squeezed her to him. Trying to transmit his apology through the hug. When Beth still didn’t really move Rick whispered “I’m sorry.”

A rare verbal admittance of fault from the brooding superhero. 

Immediately Beth softened in his arms and returned the hug. 

When they pulled away from each other Beth looked at him, her eyes glassy.

“I just wish you would tell me what’s wrong. I thought we were done hiding things from each other.”

Rick nodded, sucking his lips in. For a moment he felt like if he didn’t completely seal his lips the truth he barely could admit to himself would come tumbling out and situate itself between them.

‘I love you Beth.’

Instead Rick just tugged on the strap of his backpack and took the key from Beth’s hand opening the door for her and holding it open for her to enter past him.

He locked the door behind them and handed the key back to Beth. Brushing past her and heading up the stairs to her room.

Rick pulled his shoes off and sat them by her closet along with his backpack and jacket before plopping down on Beth’s soft bed. Staring up at the ceiling in her light blue room. 

Beth was still downstairs fixing them both a snack as the truth settled in Rick.

‘I love Beth.  
I’m in love with Beth.’

For a second the thought brought relief. Finally he could acknowledge why he was feeling all over the place, and why Kyle fucking Smith pissed him off so much. 

And then he felt sad. 

‘Beth could never feel like that about me.’

Just then, Beth entered the room with 2 bags of Cheetos and a whole bunch of napkins. 

Her demeanor was much brighter and he knew that his shitty attitude on the way to her house was completely forgiven. 

‘She’s way too nice for me.’

Rick sat up on the edge of her bed as Beth handed him his snack which he nodded appreciatively at. 

Beth sat in her desk chair spinning around a couple times giggling as she ate her Cheetos. 

‘She’s way too fucking cute for me.’

Just then Beth’s phone chimed. She reached over and got it out of her backpack.

“Oh it’s just Kyle messaging me his number haha. What a nice guy!”

Rick tried to be a good friend and nod his head but he couldn’t help but roll his eyes and of course Beth saw it.

“What? You don’t like Kyle?”

Rick sighed. 

‘Fuck no I don’t like Kyle. He stands way too close to you all the time. He makes you laugh all the time. He totally likes you and he’d probably be better for you than me.’

“He’s alright. Kind of weird but whatever”

Beth smiled, “I’m kind of weird and you like me” 

‘Way too fucking much’

“You’re different. Anyway, did you have Chuck do a background check on him like I asked?”

Beth laughed, “Yes Rick. So overprotective. And he’s squeaky clean.”

Rick shrugged. And looked down at his bag of Cheetos suddenly finding it very interesting. 

“Oh my God!”

Rick looked back up at Beth her eyes sparkled with a new found revelation. 

“What?”

“You’re jealous.” 

Rick barely could form words in his mouth to try to defend himself. The pause in rebuttal was all the proof Beth needed. 

“OMG! Rick! You’re jealous! That’s why you’ve been acting so weird” Beth started to giggle. 

Rick felt himself go red. 

‘Fuck she knows I’m jealous and that I like her and her reaction is giggling.’ 

Beth stood up and placed her hands on Rick’s slumped shoulders. 

“Rick. Kyle is a nice guy but he could never replace you. You’re my best friend. The main person who makes me feel less lonely in the world. You don’t have to worry about that.”

‘Oh.  
She thinks I’m jealous like a friend.  
Thank God.’

“Yeah okay. Sorry.” Rick grumbled and looked down trying to hide his relief.

Beth was back to giggling and gave Rick a quick hug. 

“It’s all good. I’m glad we talked about this! Now let’s get to studying.”

Rick has never been more thankful for US History.

Beth grabbed her notes and the textbook from her backpack and laid out on her bed next to Rick.

Rick situated himself so he was laid down next to her as she cracked open the textbook.

“Alright let’s start with the Constitution.”

Their shoulders brushed against each other as Beth pointed out things in her notes. Rick had asked her to help him study claiming he couldn’t get himself to focus. 

If he was being honest it was even harder to focus when studying with Beth because he’d get distracted by the sound of her voice, the way her fingers played with her hair when she was really thinking, the smell of her coconut shampoo. But she was also a great teacher and so smart that it made up for how distracted he got around her.

A few hours later and they were done studying. Beth decided they should cap off the study night by watching Hamilton.

They both plopped down together on the couch in front of her TV with plates scraped clean of Beth’s leftover lasagna resting on the coffee table.

Rick had his feet up on the coffee table and Beth casually sat with her back on the arm rest of the couch laying her feet in Rick’s lap.

Rick stiffened at the contact but then immediately relaxed. They had reached the wedding scene when Rick realized he had been absent mindedly stroking Beth’s feet. If she had noticed she wasn’t saying anything. Probably too busy rapping the lyrics word for word. 

Rick couldn’t help but tickle the bottom of her feet. Beth giggled and squirmed softly kicking him.

“Rick Stooppp” Beth laughed uncontrollably.  
Her reaction made Rick fully smile and he couldn’t help but gently hold her legs still as he continued to tickle the bottom of her feet. 

Beth grabbed a pillow and tried to defend herself by leaning up and whacking Rick in the head with it. But Rick grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him to stop the attack causing her to hurdle toward him in a fit of giggles that with her continued kicking landed her in a straddling position on his lap.

As if naturally aware of the suggestive nature of their position, Beth immediately froze. The smile on her lips remained but when her eyes locked with Rick’s he could see she looked a little nervous behind that blinding smile. For the first time Rick couldn’t put up the mask of denial he normally did when Beth looked at him in the eyes like this, and he knew she had to see the pure love in his eyes. He moved to look away hoping that maybe she missed it but suddenly Beth’s hands had grabbed his face and her lips were pressed against his. 

Shock froze Rick’s body but as soon as his mind caught up with what was happening Rick brought his hands up to Beth’s face and kissed her back.

Both of them inexperienced knocked teeth a little bit before finding the right rhythm. Meshing together perfectly as they always had. 

Beth hummed happily in his mouth and Rick leaned up more into her. Feeling as if he never wanted to come up for air as long as he could drown in Beth Chapel.

When they did separate they pressed their foreheads against each other. Rick opened his eyes first, one hand still on Beth’s check as his other hand found itself at her waist.

Beth still hadn’t opened her eyes and Rick knew she was scared to see his reaction. Scared that he would think it was a mistake. Scared, like he had been, that they wouldn't feel the same way about each other. 

“Beth I love you.”

And for once Beth Chapel was speechless. 

She opened her eyes and searched his own to confirm his words. 

All she saw was love.

Beth couldn’t help but smile back and hug him to her.

Rick had never felt so happy before in his life. He held her tightly as Beth moved her head to bring her lips back to Rick’s.

Suddenly they both heard the door to Beth’s house rattle as someone brought a key to the door knob. Beth scrambled off Rick as Rick sat up straighter on the couch. Beth grabbed a pillow and held it to herself just as her mom entered the house.

“Hey mom!”

Beth got up and shuffled over to her mom to give her a hug.

“Hey Beth! And hi Rick! How are you?” Beth’s mom replied smiling. Not surprised to see the boy that spent the majority of the week at her house. 

“I’m doing great Mrs. Chapel thank you.”

“Well I just ran over from the hospital because I forgot some files but I’ll be heading back as soon as I get them. Did studying go well?”

“Yes ma’m.”

Beth’s mom smiled approvingly and walked over to her bedroom as Beth turned around to look at Rick.

Both of them smiled at each other. Beth giggling as Rick genuinely laughed. Beth plopped down next to Rick and quickly kissed his cheek whispering in his ear the words he never knew how badly he needed to hear, “I love you”. 

The years of being alone, isolated, and believing he never truly deserved love had formed a cage around Rick’s heart. Those three words from Beth broke that cage. With one good swing it all came tumbling down.

She settled next to him and Rick smiled at her holding onto her hand and squeezing it as she lightly traced their fingers with her other hand.

They both forcefully shifted their attention back to Hamilton, buzzing with wonder at the new found joy they had just discovered sitting next to them.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! In my mind Beth was lowkey trying to flirt with Rick the whole time but he just wasn’t catching the drift (i.e the leaning into him and putting her feet in his lap). Hope y’all could catch that :)


End file.
